


Stardust

by YourCandleOnTheWater



Series: Shallura Week 2020 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Old Age, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Second Chances, Shallura Week 2020, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25028761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourCandleOnTheWater/pseuds/YourCandleOnTheWater
Summary: On his last ever flight on the Atlas, Shiro reflects on his life, missed opportunities, and lost love.
Relationships: Allura/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Shallura Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812481
Kudos: 7





	Stardust

**Author's Note:**

> For Shallura Week 2020. Day 1: Stars
> 
> It's my first time writing in Shiro's POV, which is a nice change of pace. Honestly, writing this after these rough past couple of months was very cathartic.  
> IP is not mine. Reviews appreciated unless they're flames!

“Welcome back to the Atlas, Admiral Shirogane.”

“At ease, Cadet,” he replied, “I retired decades ago.”

“It is still an honor, sir.” The young cadet insisted, giving Shiro a deep bow. “You are a legend among legends, sir. I grew up learning about you and Voltron, sir.”

The older man admired the boy’s enthusiasm. “Hearing such things always humbles me. Thank you so much, Cadet.”

Shiro walked around the Atlas, his cane rhythmically hitting the floor. He hadn’t been off earth much since his retirement from the Galaxy Garrison, and the Atlas had multiple upgrades in his absence, but Shiro could feel the familiar hum of quintessence run throughout the machine. It reinvigorated the old man, reminding him of the first time he unlocked the Atlas’s true power ages ago.

“Admiral Shirogane!” 

“Captain Hedrick,” they shook hands, “Thank you for allowing me to use the Atlas for my farewell tour.”

If the captain felt any sadness at the mention of a farewell tour, he didn’t show it. 

“We want to respect your last wishes as best we can, though is it really a tour if there is only one location?”

Shiro laughed.

“I taught you well, Tim. The Atlas is in good hands.”

-

The Atlas was in deep space, travelling to its first destination. In the bridge, Shiro sat in front of the windows, gazing at the stars. Music was softly playing, a mix of oldies and newer intergalactic hits. They would reach the first planet in half a quintant without any wormholes, and Shiro found it nice, though a little unsettling, that there was no real threat out there that warranted fast jumps between galaxies. He had a hard time adjusting to peacetime, even after all the diplomatic voyages he led after the war was over.

Many sacrificed their lives in the war. For some, like his former lover, Adam, Shiro couldn’t say goodbye. They had no closure, and Shiro still had infrequent moments where the unfairness of it all would creep into his mind. 

His friends and teammates from his adventures with Voltron and the Atlas also sacrificed so much. Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk were so young, too young, to have been at the forefront of the fight. They did so valiantly, and he was proud of how far they’ve come, but sometimes Shiro wished that he could have shielded them from the horrors of war. He talked with all of them before embarking on this trip. Like Shiro, they were allowed to leave Earth one more time to say their last goodbyes.

Shiro, however, wasn’t planning on coming back to Earth. He needed to reunite with someone he lost just as the war was coming to an end, and he never wanted to part with her again.

The sound of strings grew stronger like a wave, as a melody all too familiar to him played through the intercom in the Atlas. As the singer crooned, Shiro was brought back to one of his favorite memories.

-

_ They were both up late, as per habit. The princess was examining the holographic map of the universe, adding new data points of planets Voltron had been able to release from Zarkon’s grasp. Shiro had just finished his tasks and closed his monitor. He gazed at the princess. _

_ To almost everyone, Allura would never be caught looking so unkempt, but tonight, her uniform was wrinkled, and her hair was up in a messy bun. In a way, Shiro saw this as a testament to their growing companionship; the princess was comfortable not being a princess in front of him, and him alone.  _

_ Her back was to him, but Shiro could feel the tension, anxiety, and fear emanate from her whole being. Allura’s pain was justified - she was uprooted from her old life, only to wake up and find her entire planet was gone. She didn’t want that to happen to anyone else ever again. _

_ But she was tired. She needed to rest. _

_ “Princess,” Shiro softly called out to her.  _

_ The Altean continued listlessly scrolling through different galaxies on her map. The Black Paladin sighed and silently made his way to the command center. He called out again, a little louder this time. _

_ “Allura.” _

_ Her whole body froze mid-swipe before she slowly lowered her arms. She turned around to face him. Her clear blue eyes were rimmed with deep dark circles. Her markings looked dull and lifeless. _

_ “Let’s go to bed,” Shiro suggested. _

_ Allura shook her head. _

_ “Not yet. I can’t sleep knowing that Zarkon is still out there, and I have too much nervous energy after the skirmish we faced earlier. I can’t rest.” _

_ Shiro nodded in understanding. The ambush had caught them by surprise. The adrenaline seemed to wear on the Altean a touch longer than the others. _

_ “We don’t have to right now. I can just hold you for a while, if you’d like.” _

_ His offer seemed to have worked. Allura took a deep breath, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion. She quickly turned around and shut off her station before facing Shiro again. _

_ Wordlessly, she made her way to Shiro, whose arms were opening wider with every step. The princess softly landed into his embrace, wrapping her own arms around him. Allura laid her head on his chest, and Shiro expertly removed the pins from her hair, shaking her curls loose. Allura let out a sigh. _

_ “I want to try something, if you’re ok with it,” Shiro suddenly announced. _

_ Allura hummed, stepping back to look at him, “What is it?” _

_ “It’s a surprise. It involves some movement and coordination, but I think you’ll like it.” He offered her a soft smile. _

_ That seemed to have sold her on his idea. She gave him a nod, her eyebrow raised in curiosity. _

_ Shiro raised his head towards the central computer. _

_ “Play Nat King Cole.” _

_ A soft swell of strings resonated throughout the bridge. The princess froze in shock, her mouth wide open. _

_ “Voice command? How did you-” _

_ “It’s a perk of being the Black Paladin. I’m not completely sure of the full extent of my access, though.” _

_ “We’ll need to test that out,” Allura mused. _

_ “Sure, but not right now.” _

_ Shiro moved his arms to the princess’s waist, while Allura looped hers around his neck. He started to sway, slowly guiding them towards the long glass window. Allura’s eyes and cheeks seemed to glow in the starlight. Shiro wanted to keep the joy that danced in her eyes for as long as he can. _

_ With every word the baritone crooned into the room, the physical distance seemed to shrink, arms slowly wrapping tighter around each other, until they were pressed together, barely moving.  _

_ The song was over. Shiro rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, revelling in how their heartbeat synced together, how in the vastness of space, they are in the same spot, breathing the same air, seeing the same stars. He knew this was a temporary moment of peace, and he could only hope they’ll have more times like this when the war is over. _

_ “Takashi?” Allura whispered. He loved it when she used his name. He hummed in question. _

_ “Thank you.” _

_ Shiro felt the words she couldn’t say just yet in her comment of gratitude. _

_ “You don’t have to thank me for anything.” _

-

“Admiral Shirogane, sir?”

Shiro was shaken awake. The space shown in front of him through the window was a hazy mix of pinks and purples. The Atlas was vibrating with the sudden surge of quintessence. He saw the same cadet as before, apologetically announcing, “We are nearing the Patrulian Zone. Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes of course, thank you Cadet. I just need to retrieve something from my room, and then I will address the crew.”

Soon enough, Shiro made his rounds, shaking hands and taking selfies with every single member of the crew. He was wearing a Garrison astronaut uniform, holding his helmet under his right arm.

“Since I was a boy, I have wanted to travel among the stars. I have done all that and more. I have formed friendships and experienced things I never thought were possible. Some of you may not know this, but I had even come back from the dead.”

The younger crew members gasped, and some of the more senior soldiers cracked a smile. Shiro continued.

“You may experience different things than I did. You might even be jealous or dream to do what I have done, but I want you to remember that we are living in a time of inter-galactic peace. I didn’t know what peace was until I was getting old. I want you to enjoy this peace, and to keep maintaining it for as long as you can. I heard that some of you were inspired by me to be part of the Garrison, but I must say that you all have inspired me to live life to the fullest. Thank you all.”

The Atlas erupted in applause. Captain Hedrick, as the most senior officer in the ship, accompanied the retired admiral to the hangar. The younger man even helped haul his former teacher into the cockpit of the cruiser. Shiro mumbled his thanks.

“Do you have everything?” the captain asked.

“Yes Tim, I’ll be fine,” Shiro assured, “Don’t be surprised if I go offline quickly. The white lion of Oriande likes its privacy.”

In the secluded hangar, the captain finally allowed himself to show emotion, and he gave his mentor a tight hug.

“I’ll miss you, Admiral.”

“You take care, Tim.”

Captain Hedrick jumped off the cruiser, giving Shiro a salute. The old man smiled and mirrored one back before closing the cockpit and firing the cruiser on. He zoomed out of the hangar as soon as the doors opened.

Oriande was beautiful. The stardust around him swam in lazy streams of pinks and purples. The distant roar of a lion could be heard through the cruiser, but Shiro wasn’t afraid.

He fished the compass stone out of the pack he stored in the cockpit. The markings on it glowed white, guiding him towards the heart of Oriande. It seemed like, with every inch towards the white hole, Shiro was getting younger, his decaying body becoming stronger. The stars around him seemed to glow brighter.

The white lion’s roar started to grow louder, but underneath it was a voice that reminded him of a swell of strings, calling out his name. Shiro smiled.

Soon, they will dance again, for all eternity, under the stars.


End file.
